Golf ball cover compositions and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A process for forming a golf ball cover composition, which process comprises: a) forming a polymer comprising (1) a first monomeric component comprising an olefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomeric component comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate class ester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional third monomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydride monomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, an olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a vinyl ester or vinyl ether of an alkyl acid having from 4 to 21 carbon atoms; b) applying a sufficient amount of heat to the polymer to convert it to a substantially molten state; c) adding an inorganic metal base to the molten polymer to form a mixture; and d) saponifying the mixture to form a polymer salt particularly adapted for forming improved golf ball covers.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/978,510, filed Nov. 25,1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,578 which is a continuation of applicationno. 08/560,763 filed Nov. 21, 1995, abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to golf balls and, more particularly, toa method of making a saponified polymeric material for use in forminggolf ball covers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Throughout its history, the golf ball has undergone an extensiveevolution in an effort to improve its play-related characteristics,e.g., durability, distance, and control. Modern day golf balls can beclassified as one-piece, two-piece, and three-piece (also known as"wound") balls. One-piece balls are formed from a homogeneous mass ofmaterial with a dimple pattern molded therein. One-piece balls areinexpensive and very durable, but do not provide great distance becauseof relatively high spin and low velocity.

Two-piece balls are the most popular types of ball in use today. Theyare made by molding a cover around a solid core. Conventionally, bothtwo-piece and three-piece golf balls are made by molding covers aboutcores in one of two ways: by injection molding of fluid cover stockmaterial around a core which is held in a retractable pin mold; or bycompression molding preformed half-shells about the core. The preformedhalf-shells are formed by injecting fluid cover stock material intohalf-shell molds and solidifying the cover stock material into acorresponding shape.

Golf ball cores, whether wound or solid, typically measure from 1.4 to1.6 inches (3.5 to 4.1 cm) in diameter. The cover is molded about thecore to form a golf ball having the minimum United States GolfAssociation (USGA) specified diameter of 1.68 inches (4.3 cm).Typically, the cover has a thickness of about 0.04 inches (0.1 cm).Two-piece balls typically have a hard "cutproof" cover which gives alonger distance ball, but which has lower spin rates, resulting in adecreased ability to control the ball.

Three-piece or wound balls are made by molding a cover about a woundcore. The core is typically made of rubber and can be solid, semi-solidor have a fluid, e.g., liquid-filled center. A wound core is prepared bywinding a thin thread of elastic material about the center core. Thewound core is then covered with a durable cover material. Wound ballsare generally softer and provide more spin, resulting in increasedcontrol over the ball, but such balls typically travel a shorterdistance than that traveled by a two piece ball. As a result of theirmore complex construction, wound balls generally require a longer timeto manufacture and are more expensive to produce than two-piece balls.

The covers of golf balls sold today are made from a variety ofmaterials, such as balata, SURLYN® and IOTEK®. Balata, i.e., a naturalor synthetic trans-polyisoprene rubber is the softest of these covermaterials. For many years, balata was the standard cover stock materialfor most golf balls. Balata covered balls are favored amongprofessionals and more advanced amateur players because the softness ofthe cover allows the player to achieve spin rates sufficient to moreprecisely control ball direction and distance, particularly on shorterapproach shots.

However, balata covered balls are expensive and less durable as comparedto the other covering materials. In particular, balata covered balls aresubject to nicks or cuts as a result of a mis-swung golf club, which isnot uncommon with the average recreational golfer. Such nicks or cutsdetract from the flight characteristics of such balls, rendering them oflittle use. Accordingly, cover compositions have been developed in anattempt to provide spin rates and a feel approaching those of balatacovered balls, while also providing a golf ball with a higher durabilityand overall distance.

In the mid-1960s, E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. discovered a species ofresins known as ionomer resins which, to a large extent, have replacedbalata as a cover stock material. Chemically, these ionomer resins are acopolymer of an olefin and an alpha, beta ethylenically unsaturatedcarboxylic acid with 10-90% of the carboxylic acid groups neutralized bya metal ion. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,272, issued Aug. 2, 1966. Today,commercially available ionomer resins include, for example, copolymersof ethylene and methacrylic or acrylic acid, e.g., sold by E.I. DuPontde Nemours and Co. under the trademark "SURLYN®" and by the ExxonCorporation under trademark "IOTEK®". These ionomer resins aredistinguished by the type of metal ion, the amount of acid, and thedegree of neutralization. In addition, Chevron Chemical Co. morerecently introduced a family of ionomers produced from ethylene acrylatebased copolymers, sold under the trademark "IMAC®".

Dunlop Rubber Company obtained the first patent on the use of SURLYN®for the cover of a golf ball, i.e., U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,280 issued Jul.8, 1969. Since then, there have been a number of disclosures on the useof these ionomer resins in the cover composition of a golf ball. See,for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,819,768 issued Jun. 25, 1974; 4,323,247issued Apr. 6, 1982; 4,526,375 issued Jul. 2, 1985; 4,884,814 issuedDec. 3, 1989; and 4,911,451 issued Mar. 27, 1990. However, while SURLYN®covered golf balls as described in the preceding patents possessvirtually cutproof covers, they have inferior spin and feel propertiesas compared to balata covered balls.

In November, 1986, DuPont introduced a sodium and zinc ionomer resinhaving a low flexural modulus and suggested using and blending the samewith other ionomer resins for making a golf ball cover. Golf ball coversmade from these low flexural modulus ionomer resins have improved spinand feel characteristics but relatively low velocity.

In Dec., 1986, DuPont introduced a lithium ionomer resin which was acopolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid. These lithium ionomer resinshave a very high flexural modulus, typically about 60,000 psi (415 MPa).DuPont suggested that lithium ionomer resins could be used to produce agolf ball cover which would be more cut resistant and harder than acover made with either sodium or zinc ionomer resins. DuPont alsosuggested that a golf ball having a cover made from a lithium ionomerresin would go farther, have a higher coefficient of restitution and beless prone to cutting (i.e., more durable) than a golf ball made fromother known ionomer resins such as sodium and zinc ionomer resins andblends thereof. DuPont further suggested that lithium ionomer resinscould be used in blends with other ionomer resins where they can impartbetter cut resistance to those other resins.

The USGA has promulgated a rule that no golf ball shall have an initialvelocity that exceeds 255 feet (78 m) per second, i.e., 250 feet (76 m)per second with a 2% tolerance. Golf balls with covers made from ionomerresins with a low flexural modulus are woefully below this maximum and,as should be appreciated, all golf ball manufacturers strive to come asclose as possible to this limit.

In various attempts to produce an ideal golf ball, the golfing industryhas blended hard ionomer resins (i.e., those ionomer resins having ahardness of about 60 to 66 on the Shore D scale as measured inaccordance with ASTM method D-2240) with a number of softer polymericmaterials, such as softer polyurethanes. However, the blends of the hardionomer resins with the softer polymeric materials have generally beenunsatisfactory in that these balls exhibit numerous processing problems.In addition, the balls produced by such a combination are usually shorton distance.

In addition, various hard-soft ionomer blends, i.e., mixtures of ionomerresins which are significantly different in hardness and/or flexuralmodulus, have been attempted. U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,814 discloses theblending of various hard methacrylic based ionomer resins with similaror larger quantities of one or more "soft" ionomer methacrylic acidbased ionomer resins (i.e., those ionomer resins having a hardness fromabout 25 to 40 as measured on the Shore D scale) to produce relativelylow modulus golf ball cover compositions that are not only softer thanthe prior art hard ionomer covers but also exhibit a sufficient degreeof durability for repetitive play. These relatively low modulus covercompositions were generally comprised of from about 25 to 70 percent ofhard ionomer resins and from about 30 to about 75 percent of softionomer resins.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,783 to Sullivan discloses golf ball covercompositions comprising a blend of a relatively large amount, e.g.,70-90 wt. %, of hard ionomer resins with a relatively low amount, e.g.,10 to about 25-30 wt. %, of soft ionomers. The hard ionomers are sodiumor zinc salts of a copolymer of an olefin having from 2 to 8 carbonatoms and an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid having from 3 to 8 carbonatoms. The soft ionomer is a sodium or a zinc salt of a terpolymer of anolefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, methacrylic acid and anunsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having from 1 to 21carbon atoms.

In order to approximate the characteristics of balata covered balls atlower cost, the art has developed balls having a variety of covercompositions. There are more than fifty commercial grades of ionomersavailable from DuPont and Exxon with a wide range of properties whichvary according to the type and amount of metal cations, molecularweight, composition of the base resin (i.e., relative content ofethylene and methacrylic and/or acrylic acid groups) and additiveingredients such as reinforcements, etc. As noted above, these prior artcompositions have a considerably higher cut resistance and durability ascompared to balata covered balls. A great deal of research continues inorder to develop golf ball cover compositions exhibiting not onlyimproved impact resistance and carrying distance properties produced bythe "hard" ionomeric resins, but also the playability (i.e. "spin")characteristics previously associated with the "soft" balata covers,properties which are still desired by the more skilled golfer.

However, despite numerous attempts to replicate the performance ofbalata covered balls, the golf ball cover compositions of the prior artgenerally suffer from low spin rates which makes them difficult tocontrol near the greens. Further, such balls tend to have relativelypoor "click" and feel as compared to the balata covered balls.Additionally, many of the prior art golf ball cover compositions aremade with low flexural modulus ionomer resins which have improved spinand feel characteristics, but relatively low velocity, which results inshorter overall distance.

Consequently, a need exists for a golf ball cover composition whichprovides spin rates and a feel more closely approximating those ofbalata covered balls, while also providing as high or a higher degree ofdurability than that provided by the balls presently available ordisclosed in the prior art.

This invention teaches a new route to produce polymers with ionomericcharacter by selectively carrying out hydrolysis or saponification oncopolymers to produce compositions useful in golf balls and theircovers. The new cover composition can contain binary, ternary or higherblends of metal cations used to neutralize the polymer. The new familyof polymers with ionomeric character can be blended with other polymers,such as SURLYN®, IOTEK® and IMAC® ionomers to produce golf balls andgolf ball covers with desirable properties. The golf ball compositioncan be used for both solid and wound construction balls.

Hydrolysis or saponification of alkyl acrylate units in a crosslinkablepolymer chain is disclosed by Gross in U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,891, issuedDec. 16, 1975. This is accomplished by dissolving the polymer in anaqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution and then heating. The product isrecovered by coating the solution onto a substrate and evaporating thewater or by extruding the solution into a non-solvent. In U.S. Pat. No.3,970,626, issued Jul. 20, 1976, Hurst discloses heating a mixture of analkali metal hydroxide, a thermoplastic ethylene-alkyl acrylatecopolymer and water to saponify the acrylate units and form an aqueousemulsion. This emulsion can be used as such, partially dried to a pasteor moist solid, or fully dried to solid form.

A different approach to hydrolysis or saponification of anethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymer is disclosed by Kurkov in U.S. Pat.No. 5,218,057, issued Jun. 8, 1993. There, the copolymer is mixed withan aqueous solution of an inorganic alkali metal base at a temperaturesufficient for saponification to take place and at which the copolymerundergoes a phase change. Typically, the copolymer would be molten whenmixed with the aqueous solution.

All of these prior methods require that the polymer component be incontact with water, either by conducting the reaction in an aqueousmedium or by adding an aqueous solution to the polymer. Processes ofthis nature pose several disadvantages, however. First, it is difficultto remove water from the hydrolyzed or saponified polymer product. Thepolymer product is in the form of a salt that has a more polar naturethan the reactant acrylate ester, and so is more likely to associatewith or hydrogen bond to a polar solvent like water. The energy requiredto remove a highly interacting polar solvent like water is much greaterthan for a nonpolar or weakly polar organic solvent. Second, it isimportant to remove water from the ionomer product because the presenceof water can have detrimental effects on ionomer mechanical propertiesimparted by the polar ionic domains, which act as the effectivecrosslink sites. Residual water weakens the ionic interactions withinthese domains, thereby reducing the mechanical property benefits thedomains impart. Finally, incomplete removal of water can lead todifficulty in later fabricating steps where the product ionomer isreheated and shaped, e.g., into golf ball covers. Residual water cancause undesirable irregularities and imperfections on the surface offabricated articles by the formation of blisters. Residual water withinfabricated polymer articles can lead to void formation and even foamingwith a concomitant undesirable influence on the mechanical properties,load bearing capacity and durability of the fabricated articles.

Melt state neutralization of an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer by asolid, solution or slurry of an alkali metal salt is disclosed by Walterin U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,825, issued Oct. 14, 1969. In the examplesprovided, hydrolysis is accomplished by mixing an alkali hydroxide withcopolymer at constant temperature either in a Banbury mixer or on a tworoll mill. Walter does not disclose the use of extrusion type polymerprocessing apparatus for this neutralization.

McClain, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,034, issued Jan. 20, 1987, discloses aprocess whereby ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers or their ionomers areprepared from ethylene-alkyl acrylate copolymers by saponifying thelatter in the melt with metal hydroxides to form an ionomer and aby-product, i.e., alkanol, then optionally acidifying the ionomer toform the free acid copolymer. This process proceeds in the molten stateand in the absence of solvent or water, other than the by-productalkanol. Saponification proceeds under non-static mixing conditions,typically with equipment commonly employed in the art of mixing moltenpolymer materials such as multiroll mills, a Banbury mixer or a twinscrew extruder.

The process disclosed by the '034 reference is, however, incapable ofproviding optimal product quality since blending and saponifying in asingle operation as taught by the subject reference leads to rapidhydrolysis, with a concurrent rapid increase in viscosity. Due to thisrapid increase in viscosity, the resultant mixture is non-uniform andtherefore the physical properties of products made from this materialare not consistent throughout the product.

During the melt state conversion of the alkyl-acrylate copolymer to themetal acrylate copolymer salt, a great decrease in melt flow rate occurswith a corresponding great increase in melt viscosity. While not wishingto be bound by any particular theory, this decreased melt flow rate isthought to occur because of the tendency of the relatively polar ionicsalt functionalities formed during the saponification reaction toassociate with themselves rather than the relatively nonpolar unreactedalkyl acrylate or comonomer chain segments. Aggregations of saltmoieties arising from sidegroups attached to different chains into ionicdomains introduces effective crosslink points throughout the moltencopolymer. The effective crosslinks, in turn, greatly increase thecopolymer melt viscosity and, correspondingly, greatly decreasecopolymer melt flow rate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The process of this invention differs fundamentally from prior methodsof performing melt hydrolysis or saponification. Instead ofsimultaneously mixing and hydrolyzing as practiced in the prior art, thepresently disclosed process carries out these operations separately in,for example, an extruder or a roll mill, as outlined below. In the firststep, the polymer is heated to a substantially molten state at atemperature of between about 50-350° C., depending upon the polymerchosen, to facilitate subsequent mixing with a metal base. Thispre-heating step assures a greater degree of homogeneity in the finalproduct, with the final product having correspondingly improvedproperties.

In the next step, a metal base is added to the molten polymer and thepolymer and metal base are extensively mixed under conditions in whichno substantial hydrolysis occurs. A sufficient amount of metal base mustbe added over all to obtain a degree of saponification of the polymerbetween about 1 and about 50 percent. The mixing is carried out at atemperature slightly higher than the melting temperature of the polymer.For mixing on an extruder, the screw speed can be varied between about20-500 rpm, depending upon the material's viscosity, i.e., the higherthe viscosity, the greater the rpm. Furthermore, the conveying elementof the extruder is of a depth chosen, as would be well understood, byone of ordinary skill in the art, to prevent substantial hydrolysis ofthe material during mixing.

Alternately, as noted above, the mixing may be accomplished using a rollmill. In such a case, the cylinder roll speed is adjusted to betweenabout 5-100 rpm depending upon the viscosity of the material.Additionally, the mill gap is adjusted as necessary to control theamount of shear, and thus the degree of hydrolysis. The metal base maybe added all at once to the molten polymer, or alternately it may beintroduced in batches or stages.

In a third step, conditions are provided such that a hydrolysis orsaponification reaction occurs between the polymer and the metal base.Saponification is achieved by continuous mixing of the polymer and baseat an elevated temperature, i.e., substantially higher than the meltingpoint temperature, i.e, with the use, in an extruder, of a kneadingelement or, in the case of a roller mill, by narrowing the mill gap toprovide additional shear.

This novel three step process offers several improvements over themethods disclosed in the prior art. First, it provides for greater easeof mixing of the reactants before the reaction begins. Melt viscosity ofthe non-salt polymer is much lower than the salt polymer form, so meltmixing of the polymer and metal base is more readily carried out withlower input power requirements. Additionally, mixing of polymer andmetal base is more uniform because there are no substantially hydrolyzedor saponified regions of low melt flow or high melt viscosity presentwithin regions which have not yet reacted and therefore have high meltflow and low melt viscosity. Furthermore, the degree of mixing ordispersion of the base in the polymer is more easily controlled sincemelt flow rate is more uniform throughout the volume of molten polymer.

Once substantial saponification begins, the reaction is thought to bemore uniform than the methods disclosed in the prior art. Although notwishing to be bound by any particular theory, the controlled dispersionof reactants in the mixing phase is thought to result in a more uniformmelt morphology during the hydrolysis phase. The greater ability tocontrol mixing and its uniformity provided by the multi-step process ofthis invention are thought to allow a finer morphological texture todevelop as the hydrolysis reaction proceeds. That is, smaller sizeregions arise from dissimilar polarities of the polymer salt formed fromhydrolysis and the relatively less polar nonreacted regions andcomonomers. Additionally, the morphological texture that forms is notdisrupted by excessive shear mixing. With reduced variation in the sizeor extent of high and low melt flow rate regions, the melt hydrolysisproduct is thought to be more uniform in postsolidification morphologyand properties.

In a further embodiment, the invention relates to golf balls havingcovers comprising a material formed by the process described abovehaving enhanced physical characteristics, i.e., in contrast to ballsusing prior art cover compositions. Golf balls having covers comprisedof the composition described herein exhibit enhanced distance (i.e.,resilience) without adversely affecting, and in many instances improvingtheir "playability" characteristics, i.e., their impact resistance,spin, "click" and "feel", compression, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, improved golf ball covers evencan be made using polymers having the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R₁ ishydrogen, alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, and branched or straight chainpropyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, and octyl;

R₂ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic;

R₃ is hydrogen, alkyl such as methyl, ethyl and branched on straightchain propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl and octyl;

R₄ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic;

R₅ is selected from the group consisting of C_(n) H_(2n+1), for n=1 to18 (which includes, for example, CH₃, C₂ H₅, C₃ H₇, C₄ H₉, C₅ H₁₁, C₆H₁₃, C₇ H₁₅, C₉ H₁₉, C₁₀ H₂₁) and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H withinR₅ can be replaced by substituents selected from the group consisting ofCOOH, SO₃ H, NH₃, succinic anhydride and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH,SH, epoxy, silicone, lower alkyl esters, lower alkyl ethers, andaromatic or heterocyclic rings, with the proviso that R₄ and R₅ can becombined to form a bicyclic ring;

R₆ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic;

R₇ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; and

wherein a, b and c are the relative percentages of each co-monomer.

Alternatively, the golf ball covers of this invention can be made usingpolymers having the formula: ##STR2## wherein: R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄, and R₅are as defined above; and wherein d, e and f are the relativepercentages of each co-monomer.

Further, the golf ball covers of this invention can also be made usingpolymers having the formula: ##STR3## wherein: R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄, and R₅are as defined above; and wherein g, h and i are the relativepercentages of each co-monomer.

Still further, the golf ball covers of this invention can be made usingpolymers having the formula: ##STR4## wherein: R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄, and R₅are as defined above; R₈ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅,carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; R₉ is hydrogen or lower alkylincluding C₁ -C₅ ; and R₁₀ is hydrogen, or is selected from the groupconsisting of C_(n) H_(2n+), for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0to 5 H within R₁₀ can be replaced by substituents selected from thegroup consisting of COOH, SO₃ H, NH₃, succinic anhydride and theirsalts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, epoxy, silicon, lower alkyl esters, loweralkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings, with the proviso thatR₉ and R₁₀ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring; and wherein k, m andn are the relative percentages of each co-monomer.

In addition, the golf ball covers of this invention can also be madeusing polymers having the formula: ##STR5## wherein: R₁ -R₅ are asdefined above; R₁₁ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅,carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; R₁₂ is hydrogen or lower alkylincluding C₁ -C₅ ; and R₁₃ is hydrogen or is selected from the groupconsisting of C_(n) H_(2n+1) for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0to 5 H within R₁₃ can be replaced by substituents selected from thegroup consisting of COOH, SO₃ H, NH₃, succinic anhydride and theirsalts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, epoxy, silicone, lower alkyl esters, loweralkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings; and R₁₃ is the same asR₁₀, with the proviso that R₁₂ and R₁₃ can be combined to form abicyclic ring; and wherein r, s and t are the relative percentages ofeach co-monomer.

Comonomer units according to the above formulae are easily manufacturedaccording to techniques and synthetic strategies well known to theskilled artisan. These comonomers are also commercially available from anumber of commercial sources.

The subject copolymers can be random, block or alternating polymers andmay be made by blending two, three, four, five or more differentmonomers according to processes well known to one of ordinary skill inthe art. Additionally, the subject polymers may be isotactic,syndiotactic or atactic, or any combination of these forms of types ofpolymers. The pendant groups creating the isotactic, syndiotactic oratactic polymers can be chosen to determine the interactions between thedifferent polymer chains making up the resin to control the finalproperties of the resins used in golf ball covers. Aromatic and cyclicolefins can be used in the present invention as well as such specificgroups as methyl and phenyl.

As used herein, the phrase straight chain or branched chain alkyl groupsmeans any substituted or unsubstituted acyclic carbon-containingcompounds, including alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. Examples of alkylgroups include lower alkyl, for example, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl or tert-butyl; upper alkyl, for example,octyl, nonyl, decyl, and the like; and lower alkylene, for example,ethylene, propylene, propyldiene, butylene, butyldiene, pentene, hexene,heptene, octene, norbornene, nonene, decene and the like. The ordinaryskilled artisan is familiar with numerous straight, i.e., linear, andbranched alkyl groups, which are within the scope of the presentinvention.

In addition, such alkyl groups may also contain various substituents inwhich one or more hydrogen atoms is replaced by a functional group.Functional groups include, but are not limited to, hydroxyl, amino,carboxyl, sulfonic amide, ester, ether, phosphates, thiol, nitro,silane, succinic anhydride, epoxy and halogen (fluorine, chlorine,bromine and iodine), to mention but a few.

As used herein, substituted and unsubstituted carbocyclic groups includecyclic carbon-containing compounds, including but not limited tocyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, adamantyl, and the like. Suchcyclic groups may also contain various substituents in which one or morehydrogen atoms is replaced by a functional group. Such functional groupsinclude those described above, and lower alkyl groups having from 1-28carbon atoms. The cyclic groups of the invention may further comprise aheteroatom. For example, in a specific embodiment, R₂ is cyclohexanol.

R₁ and R₂ can represent any combination of alkyl, carbocyclic oraromatic groups, for example, 1-cyclohexylpropyl, benzylcyclohexylmethyl, 2-cyclohexylpropyl, 2,2-methylcyclohexylpropyl,2,2-methylphenylpropyl, 2,2-methylphenylbutyl. Aromatic groups include ahydrocarbon ring bearing a system of conjugated double bonds, usuallycomprising six or more even number of n (pi) electrons. Examples ofaromatic compounds include, but are not limited to phenyl, naphthyl,anisyl, toluyl, xylenyl and the like. According to the presentinvention, aromatic also includes heteroaryl groups, e.g., pyrimidine orthiophene. These materials may also be substituted with any number of avariety of functional groups. In addition to the functional groupsdescribed above in connection with substituted alkyl groups andcarbocyclic groups, functional groups on the aromatic compounds caninclude nitro groups.

The comonomers described herein can be combined in a variety of ways toprovide a final copolymer with a variety of characteristics. The lettersa, d, g, k, and r represent numbers which can range, independently, from1-99 percent, or preferably from 10-95 percent, more preferably from10-70 percent and most preferred, from about 10-50 percent. B, e, h, mand s can range, independently, from 99-1 percent, or preferably from90-5 percent, or more preferably from 90-30 percent, or most preferredfrom 90-50 percent. C, f, i, n and t can range, independently, from 0 to49 percent.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, graft copolymers ofthe polymers described above can be prepared, e.g., for use in forminggolf ball covers. For example, graft polymers can be produced such thatthe graft segment making up the linkage between polymer chains comprisesan anhydride, wherein "anhydride" is taken to mean a compound having theformula: ##STR6## wherein: R₁₄ and R₁₅ are the same or different and arechosen from among hydrogen, linear or branched chain alkyl andsubstituted or unsubstituted carboxylic groups. Alternately, however,other grafting agents containing double or triple bonds can be used asgrafting agents. Examples of these materials include, but are notlimited to, acrylates, styrene and butadiene.

Grafting the polymer molecules of the present invention can beaccomplished according to any technique known in the art. See, e.g.,Block and Graft Copolymers, by R. Ceresa, pub. by Butterworths, London,U.S. (1962), incorporated by reference herein. It is preferred that anygrafting of the polymers of the present invention be accomplished byadding from about 1 to about 50%, or preferably from about 1 to about25% and most preferably from about 1 to about 15% of a grafting agent,such as an anhydride according to Formula VI above. The grafting agentscan be added either as a solid or a non-aqueous liquid, to a polymeraccording to the present invention. Such post reaction grafting can makethe final grafted polymer more flexible.

The polymers of the present invention can be synthesized by a variety ofmethods since it is well known in the art of polymer synthesis that manydifferent synthetic protocols can be used to prepare a given compound.Different routes can involve more or less expensive reagents, easier ormore difficult separation or purification procedures, straightforward orcumbersome scale-up, and higher or lower yield. The skilled syntheticorganic polymer chemist knows well how to balance the competingcharacteristics of synthetic strategies. Thus the compounds of thepresent invention are not limited by the choice of synthetic strategy,and any synthetic strategy that yields the compounds described above canbe used.

In summary, the polymer prepared according to the method of thisinvention comprises: (1) a first monomeric component comprising anolefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomericcomponent comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate classester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional thirdmonomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from thegroup consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydridemonomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, an olefin having from 2 to8 carbon atoms and a vinyl ester or a vinyl ether of an alkyl acidhaving from 4 to 21 carbon atoms.

In the method of the invention, the metal base or metal salt is added inthe form of a solid or a solution. Preferably, however, the metal baseis in the form of a solid, such as a powder or a pellet. Powdered basesused in the invention preferably have an average powder particlediameter of from about 1-500 microns. More preferably, such powders havean average particle diameter of 10-100 microns. In the case of pellets,substantially any commercially available pellet particle size can beused.

Alternately, the metal base can be added in the form of a solution.Preferably, the solution is non-aqueous so that difficulties arisingfrom incomplete removal of water during subsequent processing and useare avoided. Such non-aqueous solutions typically comprise solvents suchas alcohol, acetic acid and acetic anhydride, although other solventsmay, of course, be used.

The metal base is comprised of at least one metallic cation selectedfrom the group consisting of the following periodic table groupings: IA,IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, VA, VB, VIA, VIIA, VIII, theLanthanide series and the Actinide series. More preferably, the metalbase is comprised of at least one metallic cation selected from thegroup consisting of: Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, Hg, La,Ti, Zr, V, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, B, Al,Sn, Pb.

The metal base of this invention is further comprised of at least oneanion selected from the group consisting of: hydroxide, alkoxide,acetate, carbonate, bicarbonate, oxide, formate, nitrate.

The process of this invention for saponifying or hydrolyzing thepolymers described herein comprises introducing the polymer into anextruder inlet zone, and melting and mixing the polymer in the inletzone; passing the molten polymer through an addition zone within theextruder downstream from the inlet zone; and adding, undernonsaponification conditions as defined above, a metal base into themolten polymer as it passes through the addition zone until the polymeris at least partially saponified as indicated by, for example, its meltindex or by titrating versus an acid.

This process is preferably accomplished using a twin screw extruderwherein the twin screw extruder comprises melting, addition, and mixingzone means. The process can further be accomplished using a master batchcomprising a concentrated amount of metal base in a polymer, with thesame or different composition as the polymer introduced into the inletzone, wherein the master batch is added from a side-stream extruder. Theside-stream extruder can be a twin screw extruder comprising melting,addition, and mixing zone means.

In yet another embodiment, the continuous process of this invention forsaponifying or hydrolyzing the polymer of this invention comprisesintroducing the polymer into an inlet zone of an extruder, and meltingand mixing the polymer in the inlet zone; passing the molten polymerthrough at least two addition zones connected in series; and adding,under nonsaponification conditions, a portion of a metal base into themolten polymer as it passes through each addition zone until the polymeris at least partially saponified.

This process can be accomplished using a twin screw extruder wherein thetwin screw extruder comprises melting, addition, and mixing zone means.The process can further be accomplished using a single or a plurality ofmaster batches comprising a concentrated amount of metal base in apolymer, with the same or different composition as the polymerintroduced into the inlet zone and with the same of different amount ofmetal base as the other master batches, wherein the master batch isadded from a side-stream extruder. The process can be accomplished witha single or with multiple side-stream extruders which are twin screwextruders comprising melting, addition, and mixing zone means.

In another embodiment of the invention the hydrolyzed polymers of thepresent invention are combined with another polymer or ionomer,according to methods well known in the art, and the resultant materialis used in forming golf ball covers. In particular, the polymers of thepresent invention may be combined with any other polymer that is or canbe used in golf ball covers.

A polymer with ionomeric character produced by this invention can beblended with the other similar polymers produced by this invention, buthaving a different metal base cation or distribution of cationic speciesthan used that to make the first polymer, to yield a blend withdesirable golf ball properties.

Alternatively, two different polymers with ionomeric character but withthe same metal base cation produced by the process of this invention canbe blended to yield a blend with desirable golf ball properties. Forexample, the two polymers can differ in their degree of hydrolysis,degree of subsequent acidification, molecular weight, molecular weightdistribution, tacticity, blockiness, etc.

In yet another embodiment, two different polymers with ionimericcharacter, each differing by the metal base cation or distribution ofcationic species used to make the two polymers can be blended to yield ablend with desirable golf ball properties.

In a separate embodiment of the present invention the polymers of thesubject invention are combined with thermoplastic ionomers such asethylene methacrylic acid ionomers, and ethylene acrylic acid ionomers,and their terpolymers, currently sold commercially under the trade namesSURLYN® and IOTEK® by DuPont and Exxon respectively. These and otherpolymers and ionomers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,157 andCanadian Patent 963,380.

In a further embodiment of the present invention the polymers of thesubject invention are combined with other non-ionic thermoplastics.Polymers of this type which can be used in conjunction with the polymersof the claimed invention in golf ball covers include:poly(ethylethylene), poly(heptylethylene), poly(hexyldecylethylene),poly(isopentylethylene), poly(1,1-dimethyltrimethylene),poly(1,1,2-trimethyltrimethylene), poly(butyl acrylate),poly(4-cyanobutyl acrylate), poly(2-ethylbutyl acrylate), poly(heptylacrylate), poly(2-methylbutyl acrylate), poly(3-methylbutyl acrylate),poly(N-octadecylacrylamide), poly(octadecyl methacrylate),poly(butoxyethylene), poly[1,1-bis(trifluoromethoxy)difluoroethylene],poly(methoxyethylene), poly(pentyloxyethylene),poly(1,1-dichloroethylene), poly(cyclopentylacetoxyethylene),poly(4-[(2-butoxyethoxy)methyl]styrene), poly(4-dodecylstyrene),poly(4-tetradecylstyrene), poly(phenetylmethylethylene),poly[oxy(allyloxymethyl)ethylene], poly[oxy(ethoxymethyl)ethylene],poly(oxyethylethylene), poly(oxytetramethylene), poly(oxytrimethylene),poly(oxycarbonylpentamethylene),poly(oxycarbonyl-3-methylpentamethylene),poly(oxycarbonyl-1,5-dimethylpentamethylene),poly(oxy-2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoropentamethyleneoxyadipoyl),poly[oxy(methyl)-3,3,3-trifluoropropylsilylene-3p3-difluoropentamethylene(methyl)-3,3,3-trifluoropropylsilylene], poly(silanes) andpoly(silazanes), main-chain heterocyclic polymers and poly(furantetracarboxylic acid diimides) as well as the classes of polymers towhich they belong.

Other polymers may also be used in golf ball covers according to thepresent invention. In particular, any of the polymers that are disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,924,593, 5,055,438 and 5,324,800, the disclosure ofwhich is expressly incorporated herein, may be used in formingcompositions for golf ball covers according to the subject invention.

More preferably, the other polymers which can be used in conjunctionwith the polymers of the claimed invention in golf ball covers include:block poly(ether-ester) copolymers, such as HYTREL® available fromDuPont, block poly(ether-amide) copolymers, such as PEBAX® availablefrom Elf Atochem, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, such asthe KRATON D® grades available from Shell Chemical,styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styrene orstyrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers, such as the KRATONG® series from Shell Chemical, either of the KRATON®s with maleicanhydride or sulfonic graft or functionality, such as the KRATON FD® orKRATON FG® series available from Shell Chemical, olefinic copolymers,such as the ethylene-acrylate or ethylene methacrylate series availablefrom Quantum, ethylene-octene copolymers made from metallocenecatalysts, such as the AFFINITY® or ENGAGE® series available from Dow,ethylene-alpha olefin copolymers and terpolymers made from metallocenecatalysts, such as the EXACT® series available from Exxon, blockpoly(urethane-ester) or block poly(urethane-ether) or blockpoly(urethane-caprolactone), such as the ESTANE series available from BFGoodrich, polyethylene glycol, such as CARBOWAX available from UnionCarbide, polycaprolactone, polycaprolactam, polyesters, such as EKTARavailable from Eastman, polyamides, such as nylon 6 or nylon 6,6,available from DuPont and ICI, ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer)terpolymers and their sulfonated or carboxylated derivatives, andSANTOPRENE from Monsanto.

The polymer blends of this invention can be prepared with or without theaddition of a compatibilizer and with varying molecular architecture ofblend components, such as varying molecular weight, tacticity, degreesof blockiness, etc., as is well known to those knowledgeable in the artof blending polymers.

The amounts of polymers used in the subject invention can vary from 1 to99 percent of the hydrolyzed polymers of the present invention to 99 to1 percent of other polymers or ionomers which can be used in golf ballcovers. More preferred ratios of 95 to 5 percent of the hydrolyzedpolymers of the subject invention with 5 to 95 of one or more otherpolymer(s). Most preferred is from about 95 to about 10 of the subjecthydrolyzed polymers and from about 5 to about 90 of other polymer orionomer.

Preferably, the cover stock used to make a golf ball cover in accordancewith the present invention is a blend of the polymers of the presentinvention and another cover material. Blending of the ionomer resins isaccomplished in a conventional manner using conventional equipment. Goodresults have been obtained by mixing the comonomers or resins in asolid, pelletized form and then placing the mix into a hopper which isused to feed the heated barrel of the injection molding machine. Furthermixing is accomplished by a screw in the heated barrel. The injectionmolding machine is used either to make preformed half-shells forcompression molding about a core or for molding flowable cover stockabout a core using a retractable-pin mold. Such machines areconventional.

Additional components which can be added to the golf ball compositionsof the present invention include U.V. stabilizers such as TINUVIN™ 213and TINUVIN™ 328, for example. Also, light stabilizers such as, forexample, TINUVIN™ 770 and TINUVIN™ 765, may also be used. TINUVIN™products are available from Ciba-Geigy. Other dyes, as well as opticalbrighteners and fluorescent pigments and dyes may also be used in thegolf ball covers produced with polymers formed according to the presentinvention. Such additional ingredients may be used in any amounts thatwill achieve their desired purpose. However conventional amounts includethe range of from about 0.05% to about 1.5%, or more preferably, fromabout 0.5% to about 1.0%.

Effective amounts of white pigment and violet agent can be added to thecover composition. Suitable violet agents include PV Fast Violet RLSpecial and Hostapern Violet RL Extra Strong sold by Hoechst CelaneseCorporation; and Violet 23 sold by Sun Chemical Corporation. The amountof violet agent added to the cover composition is preferably about0.0005% to about 0.002% based on total weight of cover stock. Goodresults have been obtained with about 0.001% by weight. Preferably,about 3.5% of the white pigment by weight of the total cover compositionis used in the cover stock of the present invention.

Ultra marine blue pigments may also be used in golf ball covers formedaccording to the present invention.

Preferably the amount of ultra marine blue pigment used will range fromabout 0.01% to about 1.0% or more preferably from about 0.4% to about0.8%.

Suitable white pigments include titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate,zinc oxide and zinc sulfide. These white pigments may be used in anyamount which is suitable to provide a uniform white color of the desiredbrightness to the golf ball covers of the present invention. Inparticular, these white pigments may be incorporated in amounts of fromabout 0.001% to about 5.0%. The more preferred range of white pigment isfrom about 0.2% to about 0.4%.

Other conventional ingredients, e.g., fillers are well known to theperson of ordinary skill in the art and may be included in the presentinvention in amounts effective to achieve their known purpose.

An optional filler component may be chosen to impart additional densityto blends of the previously described components. The selection of suchfiller(s) is dependent upon the type of golf ball desired (i.e.,one-piece, two-piece or three-piece), as will be more fully detailedbelow. Generally, the filler will be inorganic, having a density greaterthan about 4 g/cc, preferably greater than 5 g/cc, and will be presentin amounts between 5 and 65 weight percent based on the total weight ofthe polymer components. Examples of useful fillers include zinc oxide,barium sulfate, lead silicate and tungsten carbide, as well as the otherwell known corresponding salts and oxides thereof. It is preferred thatthe filler components be non-reactive with the polymer componentsdescribed above.

Additional optional additives useful in forming the golf balls of thepresent invention include acid copolymer waxes (e.g., Allied wax AC143believed to be an ethylene/16-18% acrylic acid copolymer with a numberaverage molecular weight of 2,040) which assist in preventing reactionbetween the filler materials (e.g., ZnO) and any acid moiety in thepolymer; optical brighteners; surfactants; processing aids; etc.

The present polymers may be blended with any of the additionalingredients noted above, for example, to be used in a golf ball coverusing any conventional blending technique. For example, the presentcompounds may be added to a vessel containing pelletized polymer resinsand heated to 300° F.-500° F. Thorough mixing of the materials isaccomplished by means of a screw in the heated vessel.

The polymers of the invention can be used to form any type of golf ball.In particular, two-piece golf balls comprising a cover surrounding acore are within the scope of the present invention, as are wound golfballs, in which a liquid, semi-solid or solid core is surrounded by anelastic synthetic material. The term "solid cores" as used herein refersnot only to one piece cores but also to those cores having a separatesolid layer beneath the cover and above the core as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,431,193 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein), andother multilayer and/or non-wound cores. Any type of golf ball core canbe used in the golf balls of the present invention. Preferred cores,however, include some amount of cis-butadiene. The subject polymers mayalso be used in golf balls having multiple covers and/or multiple cores.

Typically, the covers are formed around the solid or wound cores byeither compression molding preformed half-shells of the cover stockmaterial or by injection molding the cover stock about the core.Half-shells are made by injection molding a cover stock into aconventional half-shell mold in a conventional manner. The preferredmethod is compression molding of preformed half-shells.

In compression molding, the half-shells of the stock material are formedby injection molding the cover stock material into a conventionalhalf-shell mold at 300° F.-520° F. for a short time. The preformedhalf-shells are then placed about a core and the assembly is introducedinto a compression molding machine. The compression molding machine is ahydraulic press having an upper and lower mold plate. As taught by U.S.Pat. No. 4,508,309 issued Apr. 2, 1985, such mold plates have halfmolds, each of which is registered with another half mold in theopposite mold plate. It has been found that a golf ball is formed with acover in accordance with the present invention when the half-shells arecompression molded about a core at about 250 to 400° F. The molded ballsare then cooled while still in the mold and finally removed when thecover is hard enough to be handled without deforming.

Alternatively, golf balls can be covered solely with the use of aninjection molding technique. In injection molding, an injection moldingmachine is utilized in which the core assembly is placed in a moldcavity. The core assembly is held in place through the use of severalretractable pins. Such injection molding machines are well known in theart. The molten cover material is injected into the cavity surroundingthe core. As the cover material cools and hardens, the pins retract andthe molded ball is ejected from the mold. The balls then undergoconventional finishing operations such as buffing, painting andstamping. This type of cover construction is generally referred to as aone-piece cover.

The present invention can be used in forming golf balls of any desiredsize. While USGA specifications limit the size of a competition golfball to more than 1.680 inches in diameter, golf balls of any size canbe used for leisure golf play. The preferred diameter of the golf ballsis from about 1.680 inches to about 1.800 inches. The more preferreddiameter is from about 1.680 inches to about 1.760 inches. A diameter offrom about 1.680 inches to about 1.740 inches is most preferred, howeverdiameters anywhere in the range of from 1.680 to about 1.95 inches canbe used. Oversize golf balls above about 1.760 inches to golf ballshaving diameters as big as 2.75 inches are also within the scope of thepresent invention.

In addition, the present invention can also be used in forming golfballs having more than one cover layer and/or a dual core ball, i.e., aball with a core having two or more layers of differing hardness. In thecase of a ball with two or more cover layers, the outer most layer maybe softer or harder, depending upon the "playability" requirementsdesired, than the one or more layer(s) formed inwardly of the outermostlayer.

All patents cited in the foregoing text are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety.

It will be understood that the claims are intended to cover all changesand modifications of the preferred embodiments of the invention, hereinchosen for the purpose of illustration, which do not constitute adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A golf ball comprising a cover and a core, said coveroptionally comprising more than one layer and said core optionallycomprising more than one layer, wherein at least one of said coverlayers comprises a saponified polymer prepared by a process whichcomprises:a) forming a polymer comprising (1) a first monomericcomponent comprising a first olefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbonatoms; (2) a second monomeric component comprising an unsaturatedcarboxylic acid based acrylate class ester having from 4 to 22 carbonatoms; and (3) an optional third monomeric component comprising at leastone monomer selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide,sulfur dioxide, an anhydride monomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylicacid, a second olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a vinyl esteror a vinyl ether of an alkyl acid having from 4 to 21 carbon atoms; b)applying a sufficient amount of heat to said polymer to convert saidpolymer to a substantially molten state; c) forming a mixture by addingan inorganic metal base to said molten polymer such that the viscosityof the mixture remains substantially unchanged from the viscosity of themolten polymer; followed by d) saponifying said mixture to produce apolymer salt adapted for forming improved golf ball cover layers,wherein a sufficient amount of the inorganic metal base is added to saidmolten polymer in forming said mixture to obtain a degree ofsaponification of said polymer ranging between about 1 and 50 percent.2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the metal base is comprised of atleast one metallic cation selected from the group consisting of Li, Na,K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, Hg, La, Ti, Zr, V, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe,Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, B, Al, Sn, and Pb.
 3. The golf ballof claim 1, wherein the first monomeric component has the generalformula: ##STR7## wherein: R₁ is hydrogen or an alkyl group; andR₂ ishydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic.
 4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second monomericcomponent is an unsaturated acrylate class ester having the generalformula: ##STR8## wherein: R₃ is hydrogen or an alkyl group;R₄ ishydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₅ is selected from the group consisting of C_(n)H_(2n+1), for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₄ canbe replaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH,SO₃ H, NH₃, succinic anhydride and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH,epoxy, silicone, lower alkyl esters, lower alkyl ethers, and aromatic orheterocyclic rings with the proviso that R₄ and R₅ can be combined toform a bicyclic ring.
 5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thirdmonomeric component is at least one of the monomers selected from thegroup consisting of: ##STR9## wherein: R₆ is hydrogen, lower alkylincluding C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic;R₇ is hydrogen,lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; R₈is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₉ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; R₁₀ ishydrogen, or is selected from the group consisting of C_(R) H_(2n+1),for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₁₀ can bereplaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO₃H, NH₃ and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, silicon, lower alkylesters, lower alkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings with theproviso that R₉ and R₁₀ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring; R₁₁ ishydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₁₂ is hydrogen or lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; R₁₃ ishydrogen, or is selected from the group consisting of C_(R) H_(2n+1),for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₁₃ can bereplaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO₃H, NH₃ and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, silicon, lower alkylesters, lower alkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings with theproviso that R₁₂ and R₁₃ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring.
 6. Thegolf ball of claim 1, wherein said polymer is grafted by addition of agrafting agent.
 7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said saponifiedpolymer is blended with at least one additional thermoplastic ionomer.8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein said thermoplastic ionomer is atleast one ionomer selected from the group consisting of ethylenemethacrylic acid ionomers, ethylene acrylic acid ionomers, terpolymerionomers comprising ethylene and methacrylic acid monomeric units, andterpolymer ionomers comprising ethylene and acrylic acid monomericunits.
 9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said saponified polymer isblended with at least one non-ionic thermoplastic.
 10. The golf ball ofclaim 9, wherein said non-ionic thermoplastic is at least one polymerselected from the group consisting of poly(butyl acrylate),poly(2-ethylbutyl acrylate), poly(heptyl acrylate), poly(silanes), blockpoly(ether-ester) copolymers, styrene-butadiene-styrene blockcopolymers, styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styrene block copolymers,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers,styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers comprising maleic anhydridefunctionality, styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styrene block copolymerscomprising maleic anhydride functionality,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers comprising maleicanhydride functionality, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymerscomprising sulfonic functionality, styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styreneblock copolymers comprising sulfonic functionality,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers comprising sulfonicfunctionality, ethylene-acrylate copolymers, ethylene methacrylatecopolymers, ethylene-octene copolymers made from metallocene catalysts,ethylene-alpha olefin copolymers and terpolymers made from metallocenecatalysts, block poly(urethane-ester) copolymers, blockpoly(urethane-ether) copolymers, block poly(urethane-caprolactone)copolymers, polycaprolactone, polyesters, polyamides,ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers, sulfonated derivativesof ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers, and carboxylatedderivatives of ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers.
 11. Agolf ball comprising a cover and a core, said cover optionallycomprising more than one layer and said core optionally comprising morethan one layer, wherein at least one of said cover layers comprises asaponified polymer prepared by a process which comprises:(a) forming apolymer comprising: (1) a first monomeric component comprising a firstolefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomericcomponent comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate classester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional thirdmonomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from thegroup consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydridemonomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, a second olefin having from2 to 8 carbon atoms and a vinyl ester or a vinyl ether of an alkyl acidhaving from 4 to 21 carbon atoms; (b) introducing the polymer into aninlet zone of an extruder comprising an inlet and at least one additionzone; (c) melting and mixing the polymer in the inlet zone; (d) passingthe molten polymer through an addition zone within said extruder; (e)forming a mixture at a first temperature above the melting temperatureof the polymer and below a second temperature at which saponificationtakes place by adding a solution consisting essentially of at least onemetal base and at least one nonaqueous solvent into the molten polymeras it passes through the addition zone such that the viscosity of themixture remains substantially unchanged from the viscosity of the moltenpolymer; followed by (f) saponifying said mixture at the secondtemperature to produce a polymer salt adapted for use in forming a golfball cover layer, wherein a sufficient amount of the inorganic metalbase is added to said molten polymer in forming said mixture to obtain adegree of saponification of said polymer ranging between about 1 and 50percent.
 12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the extruder has atleast two addition zones connected in series and wherein a portion ofsaid metal base solution is added in each said addition zone.
 13. Thegolf ball of claim 11, wherein said saponified polymer is blended withat least one additional thermoplastic ionomer.
 14. The golf ball ofclaim 13, wherein said thermoplastic ionomer is at least one ionomerselected from the group consisting of ethylene methacrylic acidionomers, ethylene acrylic acid ionomers, terpolymer ionomers comprisingethylene and methacrylic acid monomeric units, and terpolymer ionomerscomprising ethylene and acrylic acid monomeric units.
 15. The golf ballof claim 11, wherein said saponified polymer is blended with at leastone non-ionic thermoplastic.
 16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein saidnon-ionic thermoplastic is at least one polymer selected from the groupconsisting of poly(butyl acrylate), poly(2-ethylbutyl acrylate),poly(heptyl acrylate), poly(silanes), block poly(ether-ester)copolymers, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers,styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styrene block copolymers,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers,styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers comprising maleic anhydridefunctionality, styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styrene block copolymerscomprising maleic anhydride functionality,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers comprising maleicanhydride functionality, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymerscomprising sulfonic functionality, styrene-(ethylene-propylene)-styreneblock copolymers comprising sulfonic functionality,styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymers comprising sulfonicfunctionality, ethylene-acrylate copolymers, ethylene methacrylatecopolymers, ethylene-octene copolymers made from metallocene catalysts,ethylene-alpha olefin copolymers and terpolymers made from metallocenecatalysts, block poly(urethane-ester) copolymers, blockpoly(urethane-ether) copolymers, block poly(urethane-caprolactone)copolymers, polycaprolactone, polyesters, polyamides,ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers, sulfonated derivativesof ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers, and carboxylatedderivatives of ethylene-propylene-(diene monomer) terpolymers.
 17. Aone-piece golf ball comprising a saponified polymer prepared by aprocess which comprises:a) forming a polymer comprising (1) a firstmonomeric component comprising a first olefinic monomer having from 2 to8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomeric component comprising anunsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate class ester having from 4 to22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional third monomeric componentcomprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting ofcarbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydride monomer, an unsaturatedmonocarboxylic acid, a second olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms,and a vinyl ester or a vinyl ether of an alkyl acid having from 4 to 21carbon atoms; b) applying a sufficient amount of heat to said polymer toconvert said polymer to a substantially molten state; c) forming amixture by adding an inorganic metal base to said molten polymer suchthat the viscosity of the mixture remains substantially unchanged fromthe viscosity of the molten polymer; followed by d) saponifying saidmixture to produce a polymer salt adapted for forming improved golfballs, wherein a sufficient amount of the inorganic metal base is addedto said molten polymer in forming said mixture to obtain a degree ofsaponification of said polymer ranging between about 1 and 50 percent.18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the metal base is comprised of atleast one metallic cation selected from the group consisting of Li, Na,K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, Hg, La, Ti, Zr, V, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe,Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, B, Al, Sn, and Pb.
 19. The golf ballof claim 17, wherein the first monomeric component has the generalformula: ##STR10## wherein: R₁ is hydrogen or an alkyl group; andR₂ ishydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic.
 20. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the secondmonomeric component is an unsaturated acrylate class ester having thegeneral formula: ##STR11## wherein: R₃ is hydrogen or an alkyl group;R₄is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₅ is selected from the group consisting of C_(n)H_(2n+1), for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₄ canbe replaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH,SO₃ H, NH₃, succinic anhydride and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH,epoxy, silicone, lower alkyl esters, lower alkyl ethers, and aromatic orheterocyclic rings with the proviso that R₄ and R₅ can be combined toform a bicyclic ring.
 21. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the thirdmonomeric component is at least one of the monomers selected from thegroup consisting of: ##STR12## wherein: R₆ is hydrogen, lower alkylincluding C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic;R₇ is hydrogen,lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; R₈is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₉ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; R₁₀ ishydrogen, or is selected from the group consisting of C_(R) H_(2n+1),for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₁₀ can bereplaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO₃H, NH₃ and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, silicon, lower alkylesters, lower alkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings with theproviso that R₉ and R₁₀ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring; R₁₁ ishydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic orheterocyclic; R₁₂ is hydrogen or lower alkyl including C₁ -C₅ ; R₁₃ ishydrogen, or is selected from the group consisting of C_(R) H_(2n+1),for n=1 to 18 and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₁₃ can bereplaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO₃H, NH₃ and their salts, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, silicon, lower alkylesters, lower alkyl ethers and aromatic or heterocyclic rings with theproviso that R₁₂ and R₁₃ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring. 22.The golf ball of claim 17, wherein said polymer is grafted by additionof a grafting agent.
 23. A one-piece golf ball comprising a saponifiedpolymer prepared by a process which comprises:(a) forming a polymercomprising: (1) a first monomeric component comprising a first olefinicmonomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomericcomponent comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate classester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional thirdmonomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from thegroup consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydridemonomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, a second olefin having from2 to 8 carbon atoms and a vinyl ester or a vinyl ether of an alkyl acidhaving from 4 to 21 carbon atoms; (b) introducing the polymer into aninlet zone of an extruder comprising an inlet and at least one additionzone; (c) melting and mixing the polymer in the inlet zone; (d) passingthe molten polymer through an addition zone within said extruder; (e)forming a mixture at a first temperature above the melting temperatureof the polymer and below a second temperature at which saponificationtakes place by adding a solution consisting essentially of at least onemetal base and at least one nonaqueous solvent into the molten polymeras it passes through the addition zone such that the viscosity of themixture remains substantially unchanged from the viscosity of the moltenpolymer; followed by (f) saponifying said mixture at the secondtemperature to produce a polymer salt adapted for use in forming a golfball, wherein a sufficient amount of the inorganic metal base is addedto said molten polymer in forming said mixture to obtain a degree ofsaponification of said polymer ranging between about 1 and 50 percent.24. The one-piece golf ball of claim 23, wherein the extruder has atleast two addition zones connected in series and wherein a portion ofsaid metal base solution is added in each said addition zone.